Comets
by etanunu
Summary: Soulmate AU:The mark on her hand was always a promise that she'd never be alone. Lucy would find the matching comet one day. Natsu wasn't what she expected. Nalu, mentioned Gruvia. My take on what Fairy Tail may have been like with soulmate tattoos.


**Comets**

 _Soulmate AU: My take on what Fairy Tail may have been like with soulmate tattoos. The comet on her hand was always a promise that she'd never be alone. Lucy would find the matching comet one day. Natsu wasn't what she expected. Nalu, mentioned Gruvia_

When Lucy first got her mark, she was instantly in love. It didn't matter who the person behind the streaking lines was. She only knew that the black and grey tattoo of a flaming comet shooting up her arm from the back of her hand was the most beautiful thing she'd ever laid eyes on.

She was eleven when it appeared. Of course, Lucy had immediately run to show her mother that morning the smudges of what would reveal itself as a comet that night. Layla smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. "That's great, Lucy," she said, her smile was full of fondness. "You know what that means right?"

Lucy smiled brightly and nodded quickly. "I have a soulmate!" she squealed in delight.

Layla kneeled before her daughter, and ran soft fingers through Lucy's blonde hair. "More than that, sweetie." The girl looked at her mother with confusion, how could there be even _more_ to her mark than the existence of a soulmate. "It's a promise, Lucy. A promise of unconditional love, so you'll never be alone."

Two weeks later, her mother passed away.

X

At first, through her grief, Lucy would fall asleep staring at her mark and remembered her mother's words. She wanted to desperately believe she would never be alone.

As the years passed and her father grew stricter and stricter, however, the mark wasn't a promise of love like her mother had explained to her. No, the comet was a taunting image of a world she'd probably never see. Because, despite the company of her mother's spirits and the many servants in the Heartfilia Estate, any love that had been present in her life before her mother's death was basically extinguished.

On her thirteenth birthday, Lucy began to wear a glove to hide the comet. Her father told her she would need to marry someone for the sake of the company one day and to not lose herself in fantasies. So she obeyed.

X

A few days before she runs away, she sees his mark when he has loosened the tie and collar around his neck from stress during dinner. She'd almost forgotten about the beautifully ornate matching hearts her parents had. The lines were no longer a thick black; they were instead lackluster and grey—like ashes. A sign of death.

Lucy caught herself wondering if her soulmate's comet was grey. If it wasn't, it should be.

X

She once wore the glove on her right hand because she could not stand to see the reminder of her stifling life—I mean, seriously, the only thing that could have been worse than a comet would have been an open bird cage. But after she runs away Lucy Heartfilia wears her glove because her new adventure is not about finding her soulmate. The comet is still beautiful, and now that she's free it feels a bit more welcoming, but Lucy knows that her escape was not about love. It was about independence.

She decides to master celestial magic like her mother, and starts travelling toward the most prestigious guild she can think of: Fairy Tail.

X

Lucy doesn't think much about Natsu when they meet. He seems like a hungry traveller she can talk to. Okay, maybe it's an amazing feeling for her to be able to talk to someone so freely and amicably when she'd played the role of a princess locked in a tower the last few years.

It's not that she's lonely, she has her spirits, but something about him fills her with warmth and familiarity. Like they're supposed to meet.

So when she sees his magic and he tells Lucy _he's_ actually the famous Salamander from Fairy Tail, she thinks about that warmth and knows she was destined to be a Fairy Tail mage.

She feels like she's finally made a friend when she first joins the guild—even if she annoys him at first. Lucy follows him when he goes to save Macao, because Macao seems to be important to him and she owes Natsu for bringing her to her new guild.

After they save him, she finally earns Natsu's respect—albeit, _after_ he's knocked out Taurus. Once Natsu, Happy, Macao, and Lucy head back home (and she loves that the guild already feels like the home she's been missing for years), Natsu takes his coat off and she sees the mark on his shoulder for the first time.

X

When she was little she would daydream about what her mark meant. At first she had been so happy that her mark was a comet, a celestial object, so she daydreamed that she was going to fall in love with another celestial mage. While she traced the lines of the comet's tail of flames she wondered if the sturdy rock meant she'd fall in love with someone powerful and intimidating. Maybe it was a comet because a force as strong as gravity would pull her soulmate to her.

Sometimes her ideas would be far-fetched, like her soulmate was someone as awe-inspiring as a comet, or maybe it might be a famous astronomer who would fall for her love of celestial spirits.

Natsu wasn't what she expected.

She refuses to remove her glove more than ever when she's not home—and sometimes even when she _is_ home. Natsu is crazy, unpredictable, kind of rude to be perfectly honest, and not at all the gallant or graceful soulmate she'd dreamed about when she was little.

For the first time in a long time, she cares about the love her mark promised her. Because, sure he's interesting, fun, and a good friend but that's just it! Natsu is a _good_ friend.

She's taunted not by her own mark anymore, but by the matching comet on his shoulder whenever she goes to the guild.

She keeps things under wraps so well, that she thinks she may be able to hide her comet forever. That is until Natsu catches her off guard by sneaking into her apartment for the first time.

"Yo!" Natus and Happy are happily munching away on _her_ food when she leaves the shower.

"My room! What are you two doing here?!" she shrieks, giving the pink-haired idiot a solid Lucy-kick to the face.

He tells her Mira told them about her new apartment and they just wanted to check it out. She doesn't care and gets more and more furious as Happy scratches her walls and Natsu attempts to read her novel. She kicks him again and just as she decides to be the bigger person and give them tea she realizes he's staring at her hand.

Lucy's lips flap open and closed for a while. He starts to point to her hand and opens his mouth as if to speak. She freaks out.

"Wha-?! What?! Nothing!" She exclaims, hiding it behind her back quickly as she runs backwards to grab some clothes and change.

She stands around in her bathroom for a while trying to decide if it's even worth putting her glove back on. Petulantly, Lucy still slides her fingers through and ignores the matter as she makes them tea. She tries to make them leave again, but Natsu distracts her again by asking if he could see her 'key guys.'

Just like when she first met them, she gets excited about talking about her magic and offers to show the guys how she makes a contract with her Nicola spirit.

When they agree to work as a team, she doesn't realize she's being tricked. After all, instead of freaking out about her matching mark, Natsu's only comment is, "I knew there was a reason I wanted us to be a team."

It wasn't until they laugh at her in her maid outfit that she realizes the real reason he wanted to be a team was to use her.

Yup, he was definitely _not_ what she expected.

X

They go on not really acknowledging their mutual marks for a while. Lucy wonders if he's just as confused and weirded out as she is. Eventually she chooses to finally not wear her glove when she realizes they're probably on the same boat. Even if the mark says they're supposed to be lovers, they can just be really great teammates instead.

The promise of love her mother had talked about was probably just a promise of finding a home and family. And it was right Natsu brought her home.

Lucy's makes her peace with their marks.

But then Gray teases them and she's left stuttering like an idiot. Natsu uses the moment as an excuse to fight. Erza stops them pretty quickly, and pins them both to opposite ends of the guildhall with her swords.

The whole guild will start teasing her after that, Lucy's sure of it.

But Erza threatens Gray after seeing the fear and discomfort in Lucy's eyes and it never happens again. She releases Natsu an hour later, and after asking demanding that Lucy determines Gray's punishment he stays there until nightfall.

She feels sorry, she swears, even if she spends the rest of her time at the guild with a big smile on her face.

X

It's her father's fault her new family is hurting. She hates him. Thanks to him, she's once again a princess locked in a tower.

As she jumps off the tower Master Jose's held her captive inside, Lucy wonders if Natsu's comet will turn grey or lose its flames if she's wrong. For the briefest second she remembers her father's mark, ashen and lackluster. She refuses to be alone anymore.

Lucy closes her eyes.

 _I heard his voice…_ She thinks as the wind cuts her face. _I'm sure…he's here!_

Her eyes are shut tight. Lucy knows she won't die. She trusts him.

"NATSU!"

She won't die.

"LUCY!"

Even before he crashes into her body she knows she's safe. They crash into something and then fall to the ground. Alive. Both of them.

He mumbles something under her, but all she can say is, "I knew it! I knew you'd be here."

She almost thinks she sees him blush as he unties her wrists and asks if she's okay. He looks angry and determined. He doesn't lecture her for risking her life. Neither of them declares their love for the other, and Lucy doesn't decide she will love him. When she cries he doesn't kiss her and make it all better. Instead, they both focus on their guild and get ready to continue to fight for their family.

This isn't a love story. They're partners. And to her that means so much more.

He fights Gajeel and she helps him with her new spirit.

Through her tears, as she and Happy fly around looking for him, she knows he's okay.

She trusts him to always come through.

So after the fight is over Lucy looks at her hand and knows what she has to do. She's found her real family.

X

Lucy leaves her father with her eyes facing forward. Her head isn't held high, but she isn't afraid anymore. She decides to stop by her mother's grave before leaving.

She catches Layla Heartfilia up on everything. She tells her about Fairy Tail, about Gray, Erza, Happy, standing up to her father, getting more spirits, learning how be independent, and she tells her about Natsu.

"He's really weird, Mama. Not at all the handsome prince you and I would daydream about," she laughs lightly. "I don't know if I'll ever fall in love with him, but he's my best friend. He's saved my life in more ways than I thought possible."

She sets the bouquet down and smiles forlornly at the gravestone. "I keep feeling like I keep missing something…"

Her hair swings around as she shakes her head. The comet stares back at her as she looks down. "Anyways, I'm happy. I never thought I could be this happy without you." Lucy stays quietly standing there for a minute longer.

Her moment with her mother is interrupted by the sound of feet beating into the ground in a run. She's shocked to see Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy zooming toward her.

Happy reaches her first and cries into her bosom like a scared child. Natsu immediately yells that she needs to stop feeling like everything was her fault—that she belongs in Fairy Tail. She stares at them confused. "You can't just leave!" he yells.

Lucy quickly explains to them all that she just needed to clear some things with her father and wanted to visit her mother. They stare at her in shock and Natsu stomps his foot childishly.

She laughs loudly and feels that warmth in her stomach from the first time she met Natsu—when her adventure really started. The entire situation is so Fairy Tail and she can't stop laughing that she doesn't even realize that Natsu walks up to her.

When he kisses her for the first time; she realizes he didn't push her on the soulmate thing because he always knew she'd eventually remember what he knew all along. What she wanted to ask her mother. Their marks were a promise of unconditional love.

The kiss is not elegant; it's sloppy and desperate and short. His lips are hot and soft against hers. His hold on her shoulders is a strong and sturdy reminder that he will always catch her and he'll always bring her home. It's her first, and she guesses it's probably his too. She doesn't kiss him back, but even if she'd wanted to she doesn't think she'd have had the chance.

His eyes are dark as they stare at her. It scares her—all of it, so she ignores the fluttering in her chest and brushes past what just happened. They all do.

Instead, Team Natsu cheers that it's still together and the four freak out when they find out how big her family's estate is.

X

Lucy learns Juvia is following them because she is Gray's soulmate while they're still at the casino resort Loke sent them to. She wonders how the water mage can be so devoted to someone just because of a mark.

Later, when Natsu almost dies in the Tower of Heaven and the flames around her comet begin to fade she feels the pain at her core. The thought of losing him hits her for the first time. She doesn't think it's love, but she _knows_ her life would be empty without him.

Even when the flames burn brightly on her skin several agonizing moments later, she doesn't feel okay until Natsu and Erza finally meet them on the shore.

 _He's alive_ , she tells herself. She doesn't want to feel this scared for him, because she knows that Natsu is the most resilient person she's ever met. It feels wrong. Even if her mark had tricked her for a moment, she never should have doubted him. _It's okay. Natsu's okay. Erza's okay. We're all safe._

She doesn't leave his side for a single moment the three days he sleeps. When Happy tries to make fun of her by rolling his tongue and saying, "You lllllllllike him," Lucy kicks him out of the room and threatens to not let him back in until he behaves. He does, but only for a little while.

X

After the battle of Fairy Tail, they take a mission that leads her back to her father.

He tells her about her name and about the first time he met her mother. He tells her that even before he saw Layla's mark, he knew she was the woman of his life.

The ash heart on his collar is more visible now that he's not wearing his typical suits. Lucy now knows that his coldness toward her was a result of the loneliness he felt. He's sorry, and it means everything.

Natsu and the others show up eventually. He's wearing his vest as always and Lucy knows her father can see the matching comet on his shoulder. She's grateful he doesn't say anything about it. Just smiles. As if he knows she's not alone anymore.

X

In Edolas he kisses her a second time.

This time it's not as desperate, it's soft—an understanding that he knows she won't die without a fight. His lips cradle her bottom lip, tenderly, and she smells smoke on his skin. Right before he can pull back quickly again, Lucy actually kisses him back. The kiss is again short and emotionally charged, but not quite romantic.

She's shocked it happened, but still manages to ask him, "Why?" because he never kisses her.

He grins at her brightly; like it's not weird he just did that. "I'm glad you weren't executed!"

She blinks at him for a bit and is suddenly oerwhelmed with relief, because she's also glad he didn't die.

Natsu grabs her wrist in a hurry before she can cry. "Now come on! We gotta help the others!"

They leave Edolas along with the rest of the magic of the world, and she finally cries as she watches the mark on Lucy Ashley's hand disappear. Her doppelganger seems to notice and grabs Natsu Dragion's hand with a wink.

Lucy barely sees Dragion's silhouette bristle and freak out as light overwhelms her senses.

X

If anyone were to ask her when things changed, she couldn't tell you.

All she knows is that somewhere along the line, Lucy stopped kicking him out when she'd find him in her bed. Somewhere along the line he kissed her not just when he thought he was going to lose her. Somewhere along the line they knew even if they weren't gonna dive into being together, the love they had was unmatchable.

When they start the S-Class exams separately, there's a quick mutual understanding that the other will not hesitate to crush them to win. Later, when they fight together and Lucy gives up hope on surviving her only wish is he won't be lonely. "It's always more fun when we're together," she says, because she doesn't want her last words to him to be anything else. He doesn't let her die.

Her comet doesn't start to fade when he falls after his fight with Hades; it seems to shine because she won't let him die either.

X

Seven years later, Lucy makes both Happy and Natsu stay the first night she gets her apartment back. They fall asleep smiling, with Happy curled up between them. When she wakes up, the stupid cat is laying on her face. She kicks them both out.

During the Grand Magical Games they're trust in each other is 100%, knowing that they are both fighting for their family. Her loss to Flare, devastating at the moment, seems so insignificant when she meets her future self.

When Future Lucy asks to see her mark, Lucy isn't as shocked as she thinks she should be when she sees the amount of love and pain in her own eyes as she dies.

Lucy doesn't want to let go of Natsu when she hugs him from behind later. That's when she knows, beyond a doubt, that what she feels for him is unconditional, honest, and eternal.

X

They were never alone, they were never unloved, and despite her anger and grief when he left her behind after she'd already lost her first friend, she'd wake up every day grateful that she would always know he was safe.

So when he returned, despite her anger that he left, she finally told him: "I love you."

This time, she kisses him.

AN:/

Yay! It's done! I didn't want to go past their reunion or too in depth into their reunion, so I'm sorry if you wanted more or different scenes. I just really wanted some fluff hahaha

I really love the soulmate au concept, but I wanted to see it done in canon. I really wanted to write my take on how it would affect everything.

I'm actually really proud of this piece! Please give me some feedback! Let me know if I accidentally missed any mistakes while editing, or what you liked/disliked the most. Thanks for reading :)


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